KUALA LUMPUR, SEPTEMBER 23:With his Australia contract expiring after World Cup 2007, coach John Buchanan has suddenly run into a few hurdles on the home stretch of his seven-year-long run. But days after negotiating that wrong one from his Test team’s spin superstar Shane Warne, Buchanan says that despite all the questions being raised about his methods, “it is important to stick to the principles in which I believe’’.

This belief is stronger than ever on the morning after Australia — despite taking the Malaysian tri-series as a trial — managed to reach the final, looking set to add more silverware to their over-bulging trophy cabinet tomorrow. Indeed, the support the coach received within hours of Warne giving a boot to the team’s ‘boot camp’ before this tournament shows that Buchanan has enough support from within to script a memorable last chapter to his dream run.

Skipper Ricky Ponting was on phone asking for an explanation from the star leggie and seniors like Adam Gilchrist and Justin Langer, who despite not being in Malaysia, have publicly defended Buchanan’s ways and intentions. That was after Warne accused Buchanan last week of over-complicating issues and sometimes lacking “a little bit of common sense”.

Now, ask Buchanan about the pressures of criticism while trying out-of-the-box training methods and he just shakes his head and dismisses that as just another professional hazard. “I think there are people who make observations about various coaches, players and administrators. And that is always to be expected. But in the end, it is the coach who needs to clearly understand what his philosophy is and what vision he has and later plan how to get there. I think it is important to stick by your principles,’’ he told The Sunday Express.

But Buchanan adds that a coach also needs to be flexible when dealing with players with diverse backgrounds and status. It’s a line the Aussie coach has stuck to here while dealing with a troubled youngster like Stuart Clarke or a star like Glenn McGrath, who was keen to get it right on field after a long layoff. While Clarke got a long net session after a nightmarish spell, McGrath and Buchanan had a late afternoon pool session with the coach drawing imaginary lines on wet tiles to emphasise the importance of bowling in the right area.

Buchanan says that he tries to understand his wards as “persons and not cricketers’’. “Everybody is a different person and it is important to understand them individually as people, and try to assist them as individuals. Hopefully, if we do that, their game blossoms,’’ he says.

But is it tough handling the mega stars and legends in the team ? “Look, I think every coach will do that differently. For me, it is trying to establish a relationship with the person. And that’s what I continue to try to work on. So if I understand and develop that relationship, it gives me a better way and means to understand what they are going through and hopefully, I can assist that person to develop,’’ he says.

Buchanan adds that to develop this bond a constant effort is required, which means being in touch with them constantly. “Our players are spread around the country, some are overseas. As much as I can do, I do stay in touch with them either by phone or email or SMS. And obviously, meeting them whenever it is possible,’’ he says. Does it also include calling them on birthdays and anniversaries? “Yes, why not?’’ he asks with a smile.

If for once we forget the Googly Guy, the player-coach rapport is hard to miss here in Malaysia. Be it the relaxed net session or Buchanan’s role as an official photographer at end-of-the-match award ceremonies, the bonhomie is striking.

Ask Buchanan how he will handle his life away from the Australian dressing room after the Caribbean World Cup next year and he watches his happy noisy bunch entering the team bus after a tough pre-final net session. “It is a great privilege. It is really something to be connected with a wonderful group of players. It has been part of my life for seven years and it is part of my family’s life too. We are very lucky people. I will be putting more time into my family next year,’’ he says.

What next? “I am looking to move to business coaching,’’ he says. What’s that? “I want to get into the corporate world and be with the captains of other industries,’’ he says. As usual, Buchanan sounds like he means business.

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